Aaron Larson
Articles By

Aaron Larson

  • Money Makes the Power and Energy Sectors Go ‘Round

    If you’ve seen the musical “Cabaret,” you know that “money makes the world go ‘round” in a variety of ways. While it may not indeed make the power and energy sectors “go ‘round,” money does

  • Fostering a Speak-Up Culture with Facilitative Leadership

    The history books are littered with incidents that could have been prevented if people in the know had been empowered to speak up and decision-makers had acted differently based on the input. For example, the

  • Best of POWER —June 28, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 28, 2021 GE Hitachi: Nuclear Costs, Innovation Must Be a Pivotal Focus for Carbon-Free Future Nuclear energy’s future as a critical pillar in a decarbonized world will depend on its adaptability to rapid change, but the sector must focus on costs, […]

  • A Game-Changing Vision for Geothermal Energy

    According to a report released in 2019 by the U.S. Department of Energy, geothermal electricity generation could increase more than 26-fold by 2050—reaching 60 GW of installed capacity. That may seem like a pipe dream to some power observers, but if new well-drilling techniques allow enhanced geothermal systems to become economical, the reality could be […]

  • RENEWABLE POWER Direct—June 23, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 23, 2021 Changing Winds: Emerging Wind Turbine Technologies Wind turbine technology continues to evolve under new market demands—as well as an urgency to expand to further decarbonization. Tensions Intensify as Ethiopia Readies to Start GERD Mega-Dam Turbines Despite continued pressure from […]

  • Best of POWER—June 14, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 14, 2021 Coal Substitutes Touted as Way to Keep Coal-Fired Power Plants Open The move away from coal-fired power generation has supported the growth of other technologies to produce electricity. Discussions often revolve around renewable resources such as solar and wind, […]

  • Open-Source Technology Benefits Transmission and Distribution Operators

    The term “open source” is well-recognized in the technology world, but may not be as widely understood in other sectors. What open source means is that the software code is publicly available so that anyone can contribute to the code base and create add-on extensions. This enables the growth of a market of providers that […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—June 9, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 9, 2021 Coal Substitutes Touted as Way to Keep Coal-Fired Power Plants Open The move away from coal-fired power generation has supported the growth of other technologies to produce electricity. Discussions often revolve around renewable resources such as solar and wind, […]

  • PSEG Power Closes Last Coal Plant, Explores Divestiture of Other Fossil Assets

    PSEG Power retired its Bridgeport Harbor Station Unit 3 (BHS 3, Figure 1) on May 31. The unit, located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was the last remaining coal-fired power plant in the company’s fleet. “The retirement of Bridgeport Harbor Station Unit 3 marks the end of an era for the City of Bridgeport and the citizens […]

  • How Commercial and Industrial Facilities Benefit from On-Site Power

    Commercial and industrial companies can reap many rewards by taking a more hands-on approach in sourcing power. Incorporating solar, wind, and other forms of on-site generation—including combined heat and

  • In-Person Events and COVID: Are You Ready to Travel?

    In my job, I typically do a fair amount of traveling. Of course, that all changed last year due to COVID-19. I didn’t go anywhere for work-related events or meetings. It was kind of nice—at first—but

  • The Benefits of Flow Batteries Over Lithium Ion

    Lithium-ion (Li-ion) is the most commonly talked about battery storage technology on the market these days, and for good reason. Li-ion batteries have a high energy density, and they are the preferred option when mobility is a concern, such as for cell phones, laptop computers, and electric vehicles. But there are different energy storage technologies […]

  • Best of POWER—May 24, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 24, 2021 ERCOT Program Cut Natural Gas Supply During Winter Storm A program designed to save power during periods of high electricity demand actually cut off some of Texas' natural gas supply to customers during the severe winter storm that caused… […]

  • Are NRC Fees Limiting Innovation in the Nuclear Industry?

    As multiple advanced reactor vendors enter the licensing process to build first-of-a-kind demonstration projects, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA)—a nonprofit “think-and-do tank” that supports the nuclear power industry—has said issues with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) current user fee cost-recovery model could slow innovation. In a report released on May 19, the NIA identified how […]

  • Looking for Carbon-Free Energy Resources? Don’t Forget Nuclear Power

    As leaders around the world take steps to decarbonize energy supplies, many people have focused their attention specifically on wind and solar power. What they may fail to recognize is that nuclear power provides more electricity in the U.S. than all other carbon-free sources combined. This is true in some other countries, such as France, […]

  • Best of POWER—May 10, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 10, 2021 TVA, Kairos Partner to Deploy Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor Demonstration In a notable, dedicated effort by a major U.S. utility to boost the development of an advanced reactor technology, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Kairos Power, developer of […]

  • How Artificial Intelligence Is Improving the Energy Efficiency of Buildings

    A lot of energy is consumed by buildings. In fact, the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit energy efficiency advocacy group, says buildings account for about 40% of all U.S. energy consumption and a similar proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. Some estimates suggest about 45% of the energy used in commercial buildings is consumed by […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—May 5, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 5, 2021 Process Control Strategies for Reducing the Minimum Load of Fossil-Fired Plants Recent Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) research aims to better understand the potential of process control enhancements, such as load control, sliding pressure control, and steam temperature control… […]

  • Advanced Technology, Innovative Solutions Enhance Nuclear Operations and Maintenance

    Incorporating new technology and solutions being used by others could help nuclear power plant staff improve operations and maintenance practices. Nuclear power plants face many challenges. Monitoring heat

  • How the Department of Energy Is Helping Keep Nuclear Power Relevant

    In the decade following World War II, the U.S. government took a keen interest in helping to create a commercial nuclear power industry. Although there were military leaders and members of Congress who

  • Serious Power Transmission Without Wires Is Closer Than You Think

    Most people are aware that wireless charging technology is available today for small electronic devices, such as cell phones and watches, but when it comes to larger-scale power systems, the concept of wireless transmission of electricity probably seems like science fiction. The truth, however, is that systems have been developed and are being tested that […]

  • Best of POWER—April 26, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 26, 2021 8 Rivers Unveils 560 MW of Allam Cycle Gas-Fired Projects for Colorado, Illinois 8 Rivers Capital, inventor of a novel supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) cycle, plans to begin operating a 280-MW NET Power natural gas–fired plant within the Southern […]

  • Chevron Joins Growing List of Oil and Gas Companies Investing in Offshore Wind

    Ocergy Inc., a company developing a couple of new offshore wind energy solutions, announced last week that Chevron Technology Ventures and Moreld Ocean Wind (MOW) were investing in its Series A round of funding. The money is expected to help the company commercialize its OCG-Wind Floating Offshore Wind Turbine technology and OCG-Data environmental monitoring buoy. […]

  • Innovative ‘Steel Bricks’ Design Expected to Reduce Time, Cost of SMR Construction

    An innovative second-generation steel-composite modular construction system that is planned for use in GE Hitachi’s (GEH’s) BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) plant could dramatically reduce the amount of labor required during nuclear island construction. Brian Johnson, vice president and BWRX-300 product director with GEH, explained various details about the company’s SMR design as part of […]

  • What’s Been Holding Hydrogen Fuel Cells Back, and How to Change That

    The technology used in modern hydrogen fuel cells is not new. In fact, NASA used fuel cells for its manned space missions in the 1960s. But fuel cells have not really “taken off” (pardon the pun) in earthly applications since that time. Some industry insiders believe that will change very soon. “We’ve been sort of […]

  • Best of POWER—April 12, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 12, 2021 Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable…   […]

  • Solar Energy in the Sunshine State: FPL Leads the Way

    Florida is known as “The Sunshine State,” so it’s no surprise that solar energy is growing rampantly across the state. Among the utilities adding solar resources to their energy mixes is Florida Power and Light Co. (FPL). FPL claims to be the largest energy company in the U.S. as measured by retail electricity produced and […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—April 7, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 7, 2021 Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable…   […]

  • Compact Advanced Tokomak Concept Takes Fusion Power One Step Closer to Commercial Reality

    Scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have released a new design for a compact fusion reactor that can generate electricity and help define the technology necessary for commercial fusion power. General Atomics, which operates the DIII-D facility in San Diego, California, for the U.S. Department of Energy, says the approach is based on the […]

  • Oil and Gas Majors Focus on Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, and Carbon Capture

    Although you’d be hard-pressed to find an expert who believes oil and gas companies will abandon exploration and production operations anytime soon, several oil and gas majors are expanding their businesses